Free SVG Files

Free Downloads for Signcutters and Craftcutters

This page includes links to free, downloadable resources you can use with a programmable craftcuttter or signcutter to create putz house windows, stencils, and other shapes.

Note: As mentioned in the Big Indoor Trains’ article Introduction to Craftcutters, the company that made Cricuts “locked” their machines about 2009 to keep you from cutting custom or third-party files. That way you’d have to keep buying cartridges for things you wanted to cut. CraftEdge, maker of Sure-Cuts-A-Lot software continued to work great on:

Update for 2015: According to Cricut's literature you can now import third-party svg files into the Design Space software that supports the Explore (but not any of the older models). Looks like they've finally given up on the "lock everybody out" approach. Which puts them into the same category as a lot of other machines. I don't know anyone who has the new machine yet, so I don't know how "user-friendly" it is compared to the other machines. But it could be worth looking at.

The first putz house craftcutter projects we tried were to cut windowframes. These are especially useful when you need some color combination that is not available from anyone else.

For example, at the time we started experimenting with these, nobody was making windows with silver frames on blue mylar (cellophane replacement). So we found a silver vellum product that seemed to work well and made our own silver window frames.

Putz designer Howard Lamey used a set in the house on the right. A detail of the house is shown on the left. To see a larger version of the photo, click on either photo.

An article on our experiments with the craftcutter and the patterns below is listed here.

Because hobbyists, craftcutters and media are different, we offer three different versions of these window patterns. To view the SVG file in your browser, click on the image. To download the SVG file onto your PC, right-click on the image and select “save target as.”

The first version (right) provides the most accurate replication of the original windowframes, including some very dainty mullions that are, frankly, hard to get off the cutting mat without destroying the window. If you use a craftcutter that doesn’t have a sticky mat, or you use relatively durable material, you may have good luck with this version.

The second version (left) makes the mullions thicker, which is slightly less accurate, but much easier to work with. This is the version Howard used in the pink house above. It also removes the long straight lines from the windowframes, which makes them easier to peel off the mat (start in one of the lower corners). this also causes less confusion when you need four matching windows than having all the windows come off individually.

Our final version (right) retains the “fat mullions” but makes the windows separate. Some folks seem to prefer letting the machine cut them out all of the way.

About Copyright and Reuse of Our Patterns

Some folks who download our SVG patterns are confused by the fact that we left the copyright notice off of the pattern. But that’s because that would drive most craftcutters crazy. The patterns are still copyrighted.

As always, you are allowed to download and use our windowframe patterns for your putz building projects, even for building putzes you plan to sell. You are NOT allowed to use our patterns to make windowframes that you turn around and sell, either by themselves, or in kits.